know what our kids will truly like or dislike and making decisions for our child is complicated by their special needs.
Previous posts addressed attending camps, participating in sports, joining community service clubs, and being exposed to music. Now is the perfect time to look at other activities and let your child test-drive a few. If she takes a liking to one, you can pursue it on an on-going basis.
There are many speciality camps that may fit your child’s particular hobby. My daughter became very interested in stamps. I was fortunate enough to find an avid stamp collector who held weekly stamp collecting meetings for kids. He taught the children how to properly handle stamps and remove them from envelopes. He brought boxes of stamps for the kids to peruse and use in their stamp collecting booklets. It was wonderful to see this man pass on his passion to another generation and my daughter still loves to look for stamps on every incoming piece of mail.
Art in many forms, drawing, painting, and pottery, allows a child to express himself in ways that does not require words. The process of making art helps slow down a child’s mind, as she is required to think about what she wants to make. Art helps build a child’s self-esteem as they become successful in creating something unique.
It’s always possible to first expose your child to art at home. The free Teach Art at Home Newsletter by Masterpiece Art Instruction will send you art lessons and projects that you can do at home. The newsletter will list supplies and detailed instructions with corresponding pictures, as well as the appropriate age range for the art project.
Art as an Early Intervention Tool for Children With Autism is a book written by registered art therapist, Nicole Martin. The book is full of tips and ideas for parents to use art to help their child express his feelings and emotions. Martin also maintains the Art Therapy and Autism website that is devoted to resources and art therapy.
As your child becomes more creative with her art, join the Artists and Autism Facebook page and post your child’s masterpiece. She will be proud to see her work on the web for all to share.
Drama is an excellent creative outlet for a child’s self-expression. It can also help build a special needs child’s social skills. Look for children’s theatre groups in your area and speak with the people running the program. Describe your child and determine if the program could be a fit. If the director is not sure, have her agree to let your child try out the program for a certain amount of time. You may also find a drama program that is geared specifically towards kids with special needs.
Dance can be fun for many children with special needs, along with being beneficial for those with motor skill and coordination issues. Creative movement allows children to express themselves through motion and rhythm. Explore the different types of dance, such as jazz, tap, and ballet. Check out local dance studios and instructors and see which ones have experience working with children with special needs. Experiment with a week-long summer dance program and you may find that this is your child’s newest activity.
Children with special needs can be so bogged down during the school year. Homework takes them longer than their typical peers and they may have a host of after school therapies. Summer frees up some of your child’s time and provides an opportunity to explore new activities. Have fun!
Related posts:
Friends of mine have created small groups and were able to find Music & Movement instructors for their Special Needs toddlers. We were never able to attend, but I heard it was fun and since the cost of the class was shared, it was reasonably priced.
I also want to add – ask questions before attending groups offering activities for Special Needs children. I have seen a couple well intentioned programs that thought having lots of Neurotypical children present meant they were inclusive and providing peer models. In reality, it meant tons of overstimulation and kids with ASD, ADHD, and anxiety faced the same social barriers they faced at school. Have a list of questions about the environment and support an activity will provide and ask them before your first visit. “Just show up and we’ll take care of you” doesn’t work if your child is so stressed they won’t enter the building.
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Peg Walton Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:14 pm
Thanks for the suggestion of having a list of questions prepared in advance prior to the first visit. Jotting down a few notes after the first visit for follow-up questions might be helpful also.
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Anara, thanks for the very good advise!
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[...] Help! S-O-S for Parents | Kids with Special Needs Exploring the … [...]
[...] Help! S-O-S for Parents | Kids with Special Needs Exploring the … [...]
Fascinating to find out that Nicole Martin is the owner and facilitator of the Art Therapy Blog. I was led to believe that this blog was written and run by a person named “Patrick.” Glad I came across this informative article so that I can let the art therapy community know who the real author is.
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Danette Reply:
July 4th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Nicole’s correct website has been updated in the post.
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[...] situations such as sports, church, vacations, clubs, and activities such as music, camps, and the arts. All these unique situations and environments present possibilities for things to go wrong or for [...]
[...] situations such as sports, church, vacations, clubs, and activities such as music, camps, and the arts. All these unique situations and environments present possibilities for things to go wrong or for [...]
This is a very good thing. All the people with special needs must have access to all kind of activities. Thank you for this article.
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